Hansa World Championships: The Importance of UV Protection on the Race Course

Hansa World Championships: The Importance of UV Protection on the Race Course

Blog written by Kirsten Pollock, SKUD18 Sailor

 

Hansa are the largest manufacturer in the world of sail boats used by people with disabilities. The boats are designed to a Universal principle, with weighted keels, that allows anyone, whether young, old, able or with a disability to sail easily and safely, making sailing a very equal and inclusive sport.

Every two years the five Hansa Classes come together for an International and World Championships. The boats are named by metric size, the smallest is the 2.3, then 303 divided into one and two-person fleets, the larger Liberty and finally the fast and powerful Paralympic SKUD18.

The 2025 Hansa Worlds took place at Pittwater, near Sydney, Australia. Sixteen nations, with competitors from Australia, Chile, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain and USA took part and, representing Great Britain in the SKUD Class, was me, crewed with top local sailor Brett Pearce who was Australian Reserve Crew for the 2016 Paralympics in Rio. Other illustrious names in the fleet were Dan Fitzgibbon, three times Paralympic Medallist, plus Asia Pacific SKUD Champion Neil Rowsthorne.

The Rooster clothing was brilliant, especially the long sleeved UV top, UV neck sleeve and cap helped protect me and my crew from the sun. I have fair skin and burn very easily so having the right clothing especially in strong UV conditions makes all the difference. I could focus on sailing rather than having to contend with sunburn etc.

After the regatta I went travelling and Rooster were with me every step or wheel of the way. I spent a few days in central Sydney. I then went to Uluru, from there I went to Port Douglas and went to the Barrier Reef, I wore Rooster kit in the water to protect me from the UV rays. I then went to Melbourne.

My Rooster kit proved to be the ultimate travel companion — keeping me protected, comfortable, and ready for whatever came next. Whether I was sailing in high-performance conditions or exploring some of Australia’s most iconic landscapes, having reliable gear made all the difference. I genuinely wouldn’t travel — or sail — without it.
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